Dialysis clinics could close under proposal

In July, my patients were shocked by a Medicare proposal that could reduce reimbursement for dialysis by a devastating 9.4 percent. Most dialysis patients, regardless of age, have Medicare.

In July, my patients were shocked by a Medicare proposal that could reduce reimbursement for dialysis by a devastating 9.4 percent. Most dialysis patients, regardless of age, have Medicare.

Congress delivered some relief for kidney-failure patients in 1972 when it enacted Medicare’s End Stage Renal Disease benefit. But the new proposal to cut dialysis reimbursement goes entirely too far. If enacted, cuts would lead to restricted care, clinic closures throughout Ohio and the United States and a decrease in quality of life for my patients.

This is cruel and unusual punishment for a most vulnerable population. My patients have few options. They must get a transplant, which is rare, or get dialysis three times a week to stay alive. Providers know that fiscal challenges require doing more with less. Two years ago, we adopted a cost-effective payment system and we kept our service quality high and our clinic network intact. But our payment system is fragile and these cuts would not cover the cost of care.